Twisted
by masterctarl
Summary: Chapter 2 is up! When Hyouga makes a mistake and falls in battle, he wakes up in a world that might as well be Hell. A world where Ikki is still loyal to Pope Ares, Shun is his prisoner on Death Queen Island, and Hyouga himself is supposed to be dead. Rated T for violence, character death, and a seriously twisted alternate timeline.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya or any of the characters, places, or whatnot associated with it. That all belongs to Masami Kurumada. Please don't sue me.**

**Note:** Hyouga's timeline really doesn't take place anywhere specifically, though I'd like to think it's after they get their first real upgrade to their Cloths. Seriously, I wasn't really concerned about that part, but for good reason. I can't say more without spoiling things.

**WARNING: This chapter alone contains violence, character death, implied torture, and a seriously twisted alternate timeline. Oh, and mildly implied one-sided Hyouga/Shun. You've been warned.**

**Chapter 1**

"Watch your back!"

"I got him!"

There was really nothing like an early morning fight between good and evil to get the blood pumping.

"Pegasus Ryu-Sei-Ken!"

The rush of battle, the camaraderie between fellow warriors…

"Hyouga, look out!"

…the feeling of being hit in the gut by a man twice your size and hurtled into the space over a deep ravine.

"HYOUGA!"

"Shun, quick!"

"NEBULA CHAIN!"

Knowing that despite their best efforts it was too late for you. You made a stupid mistake, and now you were going to pay for it with your life.

"…can't reach…!"

"…will be okay…!"

"…so sorry…!"

And knowing he'll never know how you felt about him now.

"HYOUGAAAAAAA!"

()()()()()

"…Hyouga…?"

The blond Saint groaned, but didn't open his eyes. What just happened?

"It can't be… Hyouga…"

He remembered being in the middle of a fight. Getting hit. Hurtling into nothingness. Was he dead?

"Not again… please, no, no, no…"

No, he couldn't be. His body hurt too much to have gone to heaven. But pain was good, right? Pain meant life. So he let out another groan and forced his eyes open, looking around. He only caught a glance at the person standing above him before the shadow retreated with a yelp to some dark corner of… when did he get into a room? And why was it so dark?

Every muscle in his body objected as he sat up, looking around the room. It was made of stone, as if underground. It was bare of light except one desperately clinging light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was no furniture, not even a stool. His head swam and he reached up to touch it. His headpiece was missing, and he looked down to discover his entire Cloth had at some point either been disbanded or destroyed by the fall. He hoped it was the former, though it begged the question of where it went and where _he_ was.

There was a whimper from the corner where the one whom was calling his name had retreated, muttering something incoherent and rapid. "Hey," Hyouga called to them, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. This person was obviously frightened. "It's okay. You can come out; I'm not going to hurt you."

The figure's wide eyes were the only thing the dim light bulb reflected off of. Green irises flashed with fear and confusion, the shadow tucking itself further into the corner away from him, muttering becoming more rapid and panicked.

"Come on," the Cygnus Saint tried to encourage, moving towards him slowly. He couldn't have moved faster if he tried with the state his body was in. "You have me at kind of a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don't know who you are. Come on out into the light so I can see you."

The person stopped muttering, turning their head away, eyes disappearing from view. After a moment, they finally objected. "You're not real! Go away, you're not really here!"

"What do you mean? Of course I am. Though, to be honest, I don't know where 'here' is. Can you tell me that?"

Another pause and they responded, though it was too light and hesitant for him to hear.

"I'm sorry? Look, it'll be a lot easier for us to talk if you come over here."

The figure looked back to him, wide eyes even more confused. "Why haven't you gone away? Why haven't you disappeared like the rest of them?"

Finally, the shadow left its hiding spot, crawling over on hands and knees. Hyouga gasped, falling back on his backside in shock. It couldn't be but… there was no mistaking. "…Shun?"

It had to be him. It looked too much like the Andromeda Saint not to be. The sad green eyes. The long green locks of hair, though they were longer now, seeming to have been kept from a good haircut, or cleaning for that matter, for what had to have been months. The pale skin covered in dirt, lacerations, and dried blood. His already small frame was emaciated, almost starved looking. Upon hearing his own name, the boy rushed forward, grabbing Hyouga by the front of the shirt. His emerald eyes traveled over the Russian boy's body in disbelief.

"You're here…" he finally muttered. "You… you can't be here but you're here… but this is really you… and you're really here…"

"Shun…" Hyouga repeated the name, reaching out and touching his sunken cheeks. The Japanese boy flinched away, but didn't let go of his shirt. After a moment, he finally let Cygnus take his face in his hands, running his thumbs across the tear trails, both old and fresh in the layer of dirt upon on Shun's cheekbones. "What happened to you? Who… who did this to you?"

There was a moment in which the Andromeda Saint looked fearful, eyes darting around the dark room as if something was there. Hyouga felt no presence, though, and suspected paranoia onset from whatever experience had caused the youngest Saint to become suddenly so skittish. Shun, while being the least willing to fight, had never been a coward. In fact, there were times when he demonstrated courage and power that exceeded any Saint he knew of.

Once the paranoia subsided, Shun finally looked to him again. Tears welled up in his eyes, voice hitching. "He… he's not… it's not his fault, Hyouga… he… he didn't mean to… it's this place… it's terrible, painful… it changed him…"

"Shun, you're not making sense. Changed who? Where are we?"

"…Death Queen Island…"

"Death Queen… you can't mean…" Hyouga's mind clicked the pieces of what Shun was saying into place. But it didn't make sense. None of it did. The least of which being that Death Queen Island was supposed to have been_ destroyed_. The biggest problem with this story, though, was, "Ikki would never hurt you! You're his precious brother!"

Shun flinched away, letting go of his shirt and pushing his hands to his ears as if to stop hearing the accusation he himself was making. "It's not his fault!" he cried out, sobbing. "It's not his fault! He doesn't know what he's doing, it's not his fault! It's not his fault!"

Hyouga understood now that this wasn't just any room. It was a prison. Whatever had happened, from what Shun was telling him, he was being held prisoner on Death Queen Island by his own brother. That meant there were likely guards outside they didn't want to alert. So he grasped the thin hands in his own, pulling them away from Shun's ears. He held them between them, making shushing noises. "Shun, it's okay… stop screaming, it's okay…" he whispered, reaching up with one hand and petting the other boy's soft though dirty hair.

Shun suddenly threw himself into Hyouga's arms, sobbing loudly into his shoulder. "I hate this place…" he hiccupped, Hyouga hugging him and continuing to pet his hair. "I hate this place and those Black Saints… they completely changed him… I want my brother back…"

"Black… but there are no more Black Saints," Hyouga said, confused. "We killed them all."

Shun shook his head. "We didn't… one still lives… you're confused… being dead is likely very confusing…" he muttered.

The blond was only mildly taken aback by the last statement. That would explain why Shun was so afraid of him. And why Death Queen Island was still there. It seemed impossible, but there was no other explanation. This wasn't his world. "Tell me what happened, Shun," he said gently. Shun whimpered and shook his head. "I know it's hard, but I need to know. Please tell me how you got here."

At first, Shun said nothing. Hyouga didn't push again. It was unfair of him to ask this, but he had to know. Were the others alive? Were they prisoners too? Finally, the captured Saint startled him by beginning with, "It all started with the Grand Foundation's Galaxian Wars…"

From there, Shun described all of the events through the Galaxian Wars, having the Gold Cloth stolen, and going to confront Ikki and the Black Saints to get the missing pieces back exactly as Hyouga remembered it. At least, until he told of Shiryu's battle against the Black Dragon and Shun's job pulling the dying Seiya out of the ravine where he had fallen.

((FLASHBACK))

Shun fought and struggled but refused to let go. He could never abandon one of his friends, even at the risk of his own life. So he continued to pull himself up the ravine by his chains, Seiya upon his back. The sounds of Shiryu's own struggle continued above him, loud, clashing, and almost jarring him with every sound of a successfully landed attack. As he reached little over halfway up, the sound of the battle ceased. He stopped his ascent, his heart catching in his throat, as he strained to hear any sign of life. After a moment, a head popped back over the ravine, long hair cascading down around the figure above.

"…Shiryu?" Shun called, afraid of the answer he knew to be true.

"Not quite," the Black Dragon called down, grinning. He once again took grasp of the Andromeda chains. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Your impending deaths. Have a nice fall."

Before the Andromeda Saint could unleash his 10,000 volts through his chain to stop him, Black Dragon finally pulled the chain loose of its hold on the cliff, giving it one good pull up before letting go.

They fell too fast for Shun to try and catch them again with his chain. Seiya was a great weight upon him as the ground rushed up to meet them. He had failed.

()()()

Everything was blurry. Every part of his body was screaming bloody mercy. It hurt to even breathe. How he was even conscious, Shun didn't know. But he couldn't stop staring at the body next to his. Seiya was dead. His lifeless stare gazed accusingly at him, now black-tinted blood seeping out around the piece of cliff they had landed on. They were so far down that he was surprised he could even see Seiya, let alone anything. His head was the only thing he could move besides one of his arms. Even his neck objected to being turned. He wanted to close his eyes, to stop staring into those lifeless eyes. Yet he just couldn't stop watching the dead Pegasus Saint beside him.

At first he'd had hope, because he had heard a straining, whistling breathing sound nearby him. He had thought maybe Seiya had survived the fall. Then he had realized that sound was his own breath. A rib was probably puncturing his lung, causing the bubbling sound that was present with it. He would likely die soon as well. A darkness descended upon him and he for a moment thought it was finally his time.

But it wasn't death. It was Ikki. After everything that had happened, those two words seemed synonymous. Even though he could only turn his head far enough to see him through the corner of his eye in the darkness of the ravine, he would know his brother anywhere. So Shun reached out with the arm he could move, fingers numb. "Nii…san…" His voice came out weak and bubbling, confirming that he definitely had punctured a lung.

The Phoenix Saint reached down and picked his brother up. Shun screamed as broken bones and battered muscles objected. Ikki said nothing, remaining silent even after the screaming finally subsided. Under the stress of the pain, Shun blacked out, almost certain he was about to cross into death to join Seiya and Shiryu.

((END FLASHBACK))

Shun went silent as he finished his story. Hyouga waited anxiously, but when no more came, he had to ask, "Wait, what happened? By what you've said you should be dead! I don't see any signs of even one broken bone!"

The other Saint shrugged, watching the floor. "I dunno… the next thing I knew, I was here. You're supposed to be dead, too. Yet here you are… maybe we're both dead. Maybe this really is Hell."

"Shun! Who're you talking to?"

Hyouga jumped at the voice. He quickly scrambled out of the light into a dark corner as Shun, instead of acting as skittish as he did with Hyouga, simply looked to the door. As the Cygnus Saint hid, someone unlocked the door to the dark cell. Sunlight filled the middle of the room, causing Shun to cover his eyes for a moment. Out of the light walked…

Wolf Nachi?

The Cloth-clad Saint squinted into the cell, senses perked. Hyouga held his breath, trusting nothing and no one in this twisted world. When Nachi was satisfied they were alone, he strode to where Shun sat on the cold floor and sat cross-legged next to him. "Been seeing things again?" he asked softly.

"Hyouga was here. But he wasn't our Hyouga."

"Of course he wasn't. Hyouga's dead. We've been over this."

"I know. But he wasn't… I think. He didn't feel dead. Then again… I think I'm dead, too… I couldn't tell if he was dead if I am, could I?"

"For the thousandth time, Shun, you're not dead."

"Could you check again?"

"Shun…"

The Andromeda Saint reached out and touched Nachi's arm, looking sad and pleading. "…please?" he whimpered.

The Wolf stared him down a moment before sighing. "Fine… come here…"

Shun scooted toward him, letting Nachi pull him into his lap. He rested his head on Nachi's shoulder, wrapping emaciated arms around his neck. The black-haired teen buried a hand in soft, green locks, the other pressing against the right side of his neck gently.

It was so… different from the Nachi he knew. Everyone here was different. Shun was a lost, whimpering child. Ikki was still supporting Ares' evil schemes. And Nachi…

The Nachi Hyouga knew was cocky, filled with attitude, and never got along well with Shun (which was in itself amazing, as _everyone_ got along with Shun). He was the one when they were kids who poked fun, tripping him, and on at least three occasions pulled his hair. Ikki beat Nachi up more than any other kid who made fun of his little brother, yet Nachi kept insisting on doing it. Even now the Wolf Saint made fun of Shun's "girl Cloth" and his pacifistic ways. But Shun just laughed it off, saying he knew his worth, so it didn't matter what others thought.

This Nachi was the complete opposite. He was gentle to Shun, spoke softly, made sure he felt… loved. He had become the older brother Shun needed at a time when his own was the one tormenting him. So Hyouga came to a decision and left his corner.

Nachi, whose back was to him, finally affirmed. "There it is. A perfectly good pulse. See? Alive and… well…" he trailed off, resting his chin on the green hair under it.

"'Well' might be an arguable term," Hyouga pointed out from behind him.

Nachi was the one to jump this time, nearly dislodging Shun as he twisted to face the intruder. For a moment he just stared in complete disbelief.

"I told you he was here…" Shun whispered.

Nachi finally reacted, pushing Shun off his lap and jumping to his feet. He grabbed Hyouga by the front of his shirt. The blond offered no resistance. His appearance was likely even more shocking to a sane man than the broken and delusional boy on the ground, watching with wide green eyes. He wasn't even surprised when Nachi slammed him against the wall, closing the door with his foot and plunging them back into dimly lit darkness. "You… you can't be real. What are you? A trick? An illusion? Is Pope Ares testing us?"

"No," Hyouga answered calmly. "I'm real. Believe me, there's no one more confused about what's going on than me."

"How? How could you be alive? We saw your body! The Pope made sure we saw all of them! You… Seiya… Shiryu… Ms. Saori…"

"Wait!" Hyouga grabbed Nachi by the front of his armor, turning them and slamming him into the wall this time. "Athena is _dead_?!"

There was no answer for a while. Then Nachi balled up a fist, punching the wall behind him. "I knew it! Son of a… we _all_ knew it! When Saori died, it felt like something inside all of us died!"

"What about the others? The Bronzes, Mu-sama, the Elder in Rozan?"

"The Elder… we don't know," Nachi confessed. Hyouga unhanded him, both finally sitting next to Shun who'd watched quietly. "He just… disappeared. Shunrei was taken to Jamir, where the rest of the Saints who are resisting Pope Ares are hiding. Every couple of months, I think the Saints are just… waking up. I mean, we can all feel it. Athena is gone. We have no purpose now but to purge Sanctuary of the threat there now."

"That's why you're here," Hyouga realized, looking thoughtful. "You're spying on him. More specifically, on Ikki. He must have become one of Ares' favorites after…"

Shun flinched, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them. "It's not his fault…" he muttered again, tears prickling at his long lashes.

Nachi reached out and rubbed Shun's bony shoulder with an armored hand. "I know, Shun." Hyouga could tell by his tone and facial expression that he didn't really believe that Ikki wasn't at fault. But he likely had already experienced the same traumatized screaming as before. While he kept a calming hand on Shun's shoulder, Nachi continued. "At least, that was what I was originally sent here to do. Then I found him."

"He told me what happened. How's he still alive after everything he's been through?"

The Wolf Saint shook his head. "I don't know. We all thought it was suspicious that his body wasn't among those who were killed by Ikki and the Black Saints. Most of us thought he'd been so desperate to be with his brother again that he'd betrayed you guys. We should have known better, though. If we'd known he was being held captive, that he was enduring what he does here, we would have organized a rescue."

"What did they do to him?" Hyouga asked, reaching out and stroking the green-haired Saint's cheek. Shun didn't flinch away, his gaze drifting back up to him. It was heart breaking to see the glimmer of light that was always there extinguished so thoroughly. He was staring at a boy whose entire world ended violently at the hands of his own brother, and whose psyche long since gave up trying to defend him against it.

"I don't…" Nachi sighed, trying to think of how to answer that question. "I can't say it in front of him. I don't think he should be thinking about it in his few moments of respite."

Hyouga nodded, pushing too-long locks of green hair from the Andromeda Saint's face. "It's okay, you don't have to. I just… I can't believe any of this, it's all so _wrong_."

"Tell me about it. Where have you been all this time?" Nachi finally asked, staring at Hyouga suspiciously again. "Where did you come from? How did you get here?"

"I…" it was Hyouga's turn to hesitate. How could he explain this? That he came from a world so much better than this one? That he just fell off a cliff and next thing he knew he was in this twisted reality? "I'm not the Hyouga you want me to be. This isn't my world. I'm from… I'm from a world way different than this. One where Athena is alive and Seiya, Shiryu, and I never fell in battle. Ikki is our comrade in arms, and Ares was long ago defeated."

The Wolf Saint scrutinized him, looking disbelieving. As if Hyouga was as crazy as the boy sitting next to him.

"…what's he like?" Shun whispered, emerald gaze never leaving Hyouga's face. It was as if he were afraid that looking away from Hyouga would make him disappear like the delusions he thought he was speaking to when he first appeared. "Nii-san… what is he like in your world…?"

It broke Hyouga's heart all over again to be reminded of the betrayal he was still enduring. That he'd never known again the loving hand of his older brother, or the comfort of being safe with the people who he considered family. "He's… he's wonderful to you. The you I know. I've never seen you so happy as when he came back. You cried like you used to when we were little, but it was a good kind of crying. We teased you, but you insisted that even men can cry when they're happy." He smiled gently at the memory, standing around in Saori's cabin together as a team for the first time. All five of them, as it were meant to be. As it _should_ have in this world. Why wasn't it? What could have possibly happened between Shiryu and the Black Dragon Saint to change everything so thoroughly?

Shun leaned forward suddenly, arms outstretched. He wrapped them around Hyouga's neck and leaned forward, placing a dirty cheek against Hyouga's. The blond felt tears from Shun's eyes run between their cheeks. "Hyouga…" he hicced, shoulders shaking. It seemed the boy with tear-stained cheeks still had plenty to spare. "Please save him… I want my brother back…" It was the same pitiful begging as before, but this time there was something added into it. A desperate plea for something Hyouga just didn't know he could fulfill.

The broken Andromeda Saint wanted him to save Ikki from himself. To undo whatever kept him from being the same loving brother he remembered from his own world. "God help us all…" the Cygnus Saint muttered, hugging the shaking creature to himself and cautioning a glance at the disapproving gaze of the dark haired spy across from them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Saint Seiya or any of the people or places associated with it. Probably a good thing, because that would make this canon and a lot of people would be mad at me for putting Shun through all this. Please don't sue me.**

**READ & REVIEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:**

**Axya** – You know, I have a love for "twisted" timelines myself. This is the only one I've ever had the courage to put into fanfic form, though, lol. And if you want a twisted timeline for DBZ, don't you just have to watch Future Trunks' stuff? Lol

**Kura'Baee** – I know what you mean, I totally enjoy tormenting my fav characters as well, and it's a sick hobby, lol. Thank you, by the way, for the compliment on the flow. I know the first part is a bit clunky, I just basically wanted that part to be more of a general idea of what happened to him before he woke up in this twisted place.

**BlackRoseVixen05**, and **yukie-senpai **– Thank you both so much for the reviews! Please continue reviewing if you read this, everyone, I'm so glad people like it!

**Chapter 2**

"I don't like leaving him alone in there like this."

"I know, believe me. I've had to do so every time I'm ordered to return to my duties. But he's handled himself quite well so far."

Hyouga looked incredulously at the Wolf Saint as they made their way up the stone steps. Nachi had stolen a uniform for Hyouga to wear so that he could walk around outside without suspicion. His face was sufficiently covered so that Ikki wouldn't recognize him if they came face to face. "Handled himself? He's lost his mind. Were you listening to the same frightened boy I was?"

"Anyone else, even other Saints, would have probably lost the will to go on over what he's been through by now," Nachi pointed out calmly. "But here he is, still holding onto whatever little he has left so he can keep going. No matter how crazy he's gone, he still knows that there's hope."

"Athena is dead, Pope Ares all but won!"

"Shhh!" the Wolf Saint hissed at him, looking around quickly. They hadn't yet reached the exit to the island's prison, though, so there were no other guards around. From what Hyouga understood, Shun wasn't the only prisoner being kept there. However, prisoners weren't sent to Death Queen Island to be kept alive. Prisoner turnover rate was high. Shun was the only one in which there didn't seem to be any immediate plan of execution. "I will throw you back in that cell with him if you don't shut the hell up! It took a lot to convince Ikki that I was loyal to the Pope. I had to do things I'll never forgive myself for. If you blow my cover, I _won't_ regret what I'll do to you. You died once, you can die again."

"Sorry. I just still can't believe any of this is happening. Imagine fighting alongside your comrades one second, then waking up the next to find that all of them are dead, crazy, or evil. It's… overwhelming."

"Luckily the other Bronze Saints are safe. Jabu's in Japan keeping an eye on the situation there. He was so devastated when Ms. Saori died. We can't trust him not to get himself killed trying to avenge her death."

"Yeah, somehow I can see it. What about Tatsumi? I can't imagine it went over well with him, either." There was an uncomfortable pause as Nachi simply stared at the ground. "No…" Hyouga realized.

"Yeah. We took him to Jamir with the rest of the people we could trust. But the idiot just kind of… took off. We don't know what happened to him, but Jamir was meant to be unreachable by even most Saints. A normal guy like him? He stood no chance just trying to get down."

Hyouga cringed, gritting his teeth. None of the Saints got along with Tatsumi but he didn't deserve that. He just wanted to remain useful, no matter how hard that was when Saori was in the hands of the uber-powerful Saints now. "What about the other Bronzes?"

"Ichi's in Sanctuary. It wasn't hard for him to convince them that he was loyal to Pope Ares. After all, we were all scared shitless after we saw your guys' bodies being displayed. A lot of Saints really _are_ staying with Ares out of fear. Ban is helping keep track of everyone heading to Jamir. The place is getting crowded, honestly. We were half expecting Mu-sama to kick us all out of there long ago or something, but he just keeps making more room. We have this weird feeling he's been bracing for this for a long time."

"That would explain the real estate he grabbed in middle-of-nowhere-ia."

As they approached the main road outside of the prison, they stopped speaking freely. There was a couple of guards in similar uniforms to the one Hyouga was wearing standing outside.

"Hey, Nachi," one of them greeted, giving a bit of a mock-salute. "Visiting the crazy again?"

Nachi seemed to just ignore him, rolling his eyes and keeping walking.

"It's not fair, he's the only one who ever gets to see Lord Phoenix's precious little brother."

"I know, I'd love to go down there and just stare at him for a while. You ever do that when they drag him out of his cell? Just stare at him. I swear, it only takes ten seconds for him to look like he's gonna piss himself."

Hyouga clenched his fists as the guards laughed. How could they be so heartless? There was a defenseless boy down there, scared and alone, one who lost everything he ever loved, and they were laughing about terrorizing him further. These weren't men, they were animals.

"You know the rules!" Nachi snarled at them over his shoulder. "You go near Phoenix's brother and you'll _wish_ you were dealing with me!"

The two guards stopped laughing, looking uncomfortable. "Whatever," one muttered, though he sounded nervous.

As they left the two men behind, Hyouga glanced at Nachi. He looked as angry as Hyouga felt. He'd think that'd raise suspicion, but in a place like this he had the feeling 'happy' was something no one felt. If you didn't look angry or bitter you'd probably stand out further.

"Ignore the assholes here," the dark-haired boy muttered. "That's pretty much everyone, but you'll be better for it. This is a breeding ground for anger, hate, and cruelty. I was the only person willing to come here, if only to get the chance to get revenge for the humiliation I went through at the Galaxian Wars." He was likely referring to the Demon Fist he took that put him out of commission for a while. Hyouga didn't say, but he'd kind of deserved it for calling Ikki out when something was obviously wrong with him.

"Isn't this where the Black Saints came from, too?"

"Yeah. Black Dragon's the only one remaining from the group you guys fought, but there are more of them. More are being trained, too. Some are looking to take over the cloths left by Black Swan, Black Andromeda, and Black Pegasus. Since he was the one who helped take out you guys, though, Black Dragon's kind of become the unofficial leader. Something's… really off about that guy. I mean, he's pretty much exactly what you expect from them. He's ruthless, cruel, heartless, powerful… he'll even kill off trainees if he doesn't think they're working hard enough."

"That's where the anomaly is for me," Hyouga nodded. "In my world he didn't kill Shiryu. He saved his life instead, and in turn allowed Shiryu to save Shun and Seiya. I almost can't believe one person's death caused all of this."

"It was a whole lot more than one person. With Saints abandoning him, Pope Ares has been weeding out any who planned on doing the same and giving them the choice to join him or die. Some tried to actually challenge him directly. Everyone who has are dead."

"Like who?"

"Eagle Marin."

Hyouga stopped walking and gripped the sword at the side of his uniform to keep himself from swearing. Marin was a powerful ally of theirs. "She's smarter than that."

"Yeah, but anyone who was given the choice had to prove themselves to join him. They had to kill someone else who was suspected of turning against him. Marin's smart, but she wouldn't kill someone meaninglessly. She would rather that person have the chance to turn the tide of this."

Hyouga thought about it and nodded. Nachi was right. She wouldn't end an innocent Saint's life, even if it meant to cover up her own tracks.

"Nachi!" a guard ran up, looking out of breath. "Lord Phoenix wants to see you. He insists you come… who's this?" The guard pointed at Hyouga, looking confused. The men on this island likely knew each other pretty well, so the presence of someone new was jarring.

"New guy," Nachi said easily, shrugging. "I'm showing him the ropes. After what happened to Archer…"

"Oh, right." The guard seemed to accept the answer without a second thought, nodding back towards the building in the middle of the island. It was small and very obviously new, but still impressive considering it looked like the only thing not worn from decades, probably even centuries, of torment at the hands of Mother Nature's cruel wrath in this hell. "Anyway, Phoenix wants you. You know how impatient he can be with his own men, I'd suggest you hurry."

"Yeah, we're coming. I'm bringing the new guy, too. Best he meets Phoenix soon as possible."

"Sure, whatever." The guard waved an apathetic hand and sauntered off having completed his duty. "It's time to switch shifts on training's guards. I'll talk to you later."

Nachi waved him off and started towards the building in the middle of the island.

"Are you crazy?" Hyouga hurried after him. The blond kept his voice low in this more populated area. "Bringing me in front of Ikki? You'll blow my cover, this disguise is supposed to deflect suspicion from the guards, and _maybe_ him from a distance."

"You'll have to come face-to-face with him eventually," the Wolf muttered. "Get it done now. And don't worry, remember you're dead. There's not a shadow of a doubt about that. He won't suspect a dead man of standing before him."

The Cygnus Saint was still unsure, but he trusted Nachi. He had a feeling there was very few he could say the same for anymore in this twisted reality. They fell into silence as they continued up the steps towards the building, which was becoming increasingly apparently a temple. It couldn't be one for Athena, he knew that. The Pope wouldn't allow that, of that Hyouga was sure. So it left him to wonder who this place could have been built for. Ikki wasn't egotistical enough to make one for himself, but was he loyal enough to Pope Ares to make one for him? He listened to snippets of conversation they passed by to keep his head about him as they drew closer to facing the man who imprisoned his own younger brother, the man who should have been their ally. Guards, soldiers, and trainees conversed as if this place weren't Hell. No, worst. As if this place weren't Death Queen Island.

"…thinking of transferring to Sanctuary…"

"…see the look on his face? You'd think…"

"…so close to that Black Cloth I can almost taste…"

"…hear she broke both legs during practice? Harsh…"

It all sounded so… normal. Other than the fact that most of these people were either willingly or unwittingly sided with the forces of evil, he would almost think he was back in Sanctuary in his own world. At least, until he looked around. The black, smoke-filled sky and unnatural red hue everything seemed to be bathed in was a constant reminder of where he was.

"Hey, we're here," Nachi snapped him out of his thoughts. He'd been so engrossed in his surrounding he hadn't realized they were standing in front of the temple. "You ready? It's a bad idea to keep Phoenix waiting."

Hyouga took a breath and nodded, making sure the mask of his helmet was sufficiently covering his face. As long as he didn't have to speak to the Phoenix Saint or get too close to him he should be fine. "Alright, let's do this."

The dark-haired teen nodded and led the way in. The temple was so… simple. Nowhere near as elegant as the ones Hyouga was used to seeing in Sanctuary. Every wall was perfectly smooth and pristinely white, though it was apparent that the constant cloud of ash would prevent it from staying that way. There was a woman on her knees nearby scrubbing at a patch of dirt on one of the walls. She looked miserable and broken, as if her life had no other meaning outside of this menial and never-ending task.

As they entered the main chamber of the temple, he spotted the man they were sent to speak to. Phoenix Ikki stood upon a platform in the back of the temple next to a marble statue. It wasn't large or grand, but instead as simple and beautiful as the rest of the building. The figure was almost jarring to look at, as he almost swore it was Shun, peaceful and happy with arms full of flowers, eyes closed and a calm, serene smile upon the face. But second glance corrected him, as the statue was very obviously female. It was apparent to him who this was from the stories Ikki had told them of his time on the island during his training. It was Esmeralda, the girl Ikki had grown close to and who was killed by Guilty. Her death was the very thing that provoked Ikki to become the hateful and angry man they would meet at the Galaxian Wars. He had this entire temple built simply for her.

"Lord Phoenix," Nachi saluted as he stopped in the center of the room. Hyouga quickly followed the gesture, hoping Ikki wouldn't question his presence. "You wanted to see me?"

Luckily, Ikki barely glanced at him. "Wolf Nachi." His voice still dripped with the same contempt Hyouga remembered from when the Ikki from his own world had been loyal to Ares. After spending so much time with the reformed Saint, though, it felt strange to hear it again. "Something has disturbed the balance of power on the island. I felt a burst of Cosmo coming from the prison."

Hyouga tensed. What Ikki had felt had to have been him falling into this place. Whatever had caused it probably took a lot of power to do.

"I felt it as well," Nachi confirmed. Hyouga glanced at him, surprised. Surely he wasn't about to turn him in? "I went to investigate, but I didn't find anything unusual. The prisoners are still in their cells, and no one has disturbed them."

"And Shun?"

"The same."

"Good."

Hyouga felt his blood boil at the level of contempt that dripped from Ikki's voice. He didn't seem concerned at all for the broken boy sitting alone in his cell, crying for a brother who turned on him.

"_Please save him… I want my brother back…"_

"Tch…" the Cygnus Saint couldn't stop himself from making a disgusted sound. He immediately regretted it as Ikki's attention turned to him.

That hateful glare ran over the disguised Saint from head to toe, analyzing him. There was a spark of familiarity as Hyouga could feel his Cosmo searching his own. He suppressed his own Cosmo as best he could. "Is there something you'd like to say, guard?" the Phoenix Saint finally asked.

Hyouga didn't trust his own voice, so instead shook his head quickly. He hoped it came off as fearful as he meant it to look.

Ikki stepped forward off of the platform, away from his beloved Esmeralda, and came within inches of the Bronze Saint of another world. He scrutinized him, causing Hyouga to try and turn his face away if to keep him from recognizing him for a moment. Ikki's hand caught his chin, however, and kept it still. "You seem familiar. What is your name?"

"Sir, he's just…" Nachi began, trying to keep this from blowing cover.

"Silence!" the Phoenix Saint didn't even look away from Hyouga's masked face as he snapped at the Wolf. Nachi reluctantly complied, trying to hide his nervousness. "What is your name, guard?" he repeated.

After a moment's hesitation, Hyouga finally answered, "Yakov." He kept his voice as low as possible to keep from recognition.

"Hmph…" Ikki finally released his chin, glancing at Nachi. The Wolf Saint kept his face admirably neutral. "I expect a full investigation of the island; make sure there's no one who doesn't belong." He glanced at Hyouga one last time. "How long has it been since you last brought Andromeda before me?"

"Two weeks."

"Make sure that happens tomorrow. I don't want to get his hopes up that I've forgotten he's down there."

"Yes, sir," Nachi saluted him. Hyouga again mimicked the gesture. They both turned to leave.

"Yakov."

Hyouga stopped cold, turning slowly. "Yes… sir?" It was almost painful to call this monster wearing Ikki's face such a thing.

"Stay."

He swallowed, glancing at Nachi. The Wolf Saint gave him a helpless shrug and continued out, all but abandoning him to the Phoenix. "Sir?" he inquired, saluting again.

Ikki was still in the same spot, dangerously close to him. He had the paranoid feeling he'd been found out, but tried to hide it. He hoped his nervousness projected as a guard facing his very powerful and frankly frightening superior. He was expecting a Phoenix at the same level as the one he'd fought back in the day. This one felt different. As if having the other Bronze Saints and Athena killed had finally snapped something that had long since been twisted inside of his head. The Ikki from his own world found power in fighting alongside his allies and brother. This one found it in accepting that the world was a cruel, heartless place and in order to survive it he had to become even more so. Despite his own growth in power, Hyouga wasn't sure he could defeat this man in a fight. It was especially unlikely if the entire island got involved.

"Are you aware of your own Cosmo?"

"No, sir," Hyouga decided playing dumb would probably be the best policy against him.

"It's unstable, but there. It flared when speaking of Andromeda. You've seen him, then."

The Cygnus Saint almost denied it. But he knew that would be unwise. "Yes, sir."

"You were the one in the prison. You went down to see him." Hyouga's breath caught in his throat. Ikki, however, didn't wait for an answer. "Being as you are obviously new, I'll go against my better judgment and let it go. However, you should know that that part of the prison block is off-limits to anyone besides me and Wolf Nachi. He was admirable for trying to protect you by lying about not finding you there, but foolish."

"Yes, sir." Hyouga determined that this very simple, neutral response was his best way to keep himself in check.

"Your Cosmo flared in anger upon seeing him is my determination. Definitely so when I mentioned him." Ikki looked thoughtful. "You hate him that much?"

Hyouga nearly deflated in relief. Ikki thought it was _Shun_ he felt anger towards. "Yes, sir," he repeated.

"This is good. Anger and hatred are the two greatest powers. You'll make an excellent Black Saint."

"Excuse me?" the blond Saint felt his chest clench. A Black Saint? One of those devils?

"Indeed. Your Cosmo is too small for anything more powerful than a Bronze Cloth, however all of the ones we know of have been… liberated from their previous wearers too long for them to take to a new Saint. Besides that, they are in Sanctuary. I assume you trained there?"

"Yes, sir."

"And none of the Cloths responded to you?"

"No, sir."

"I see. Then you'll train here with the others hoping to receive a Black Cloth."

Hyouga didn't know how to respond to this. He couldn't refuse or he'd be placed under suspicion. After all, what loyal servant of Pope Ares would deny the chance to wear a Cloth, even one of the Black ones? "Thank you, Lord Phoenix," he managed. The biggest problem was that he'd lose his disguise, his face would be exposed. He thought quickly. "Sir, if I may…" he began, hoping to word this in a way that at least wouldn't sound anywhere near as suspicious as it likely was. "I can't show my face. I was injured in a training accident; it's painful to talk about. My face is horrifically scarred, and I'm ashamed for anyone to see it."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, seeming to consider the honesty behind this story. He reached forward. "Let me see, then."

"No!" Hyouga slapped his hand away, turning away quickly. It was theatrical, sure, but he needed the older Saint to believe that he wasn't trying to hide his identity. "You'll mock me! I can't be mocked, I hate it!" He made sure to flare his Cosmo for effect.

Ikki actually looked taken aback, though whether it was from being so thoroughly denied or because of the outburst, it was hard to tell. He scrutinized the pained look on Hyouga's face and something seemed to spark inside of him. So he surprisingly nodded. "Alright. Wait here."

Hyouga straightened again and watched the Phoenix Saint walk off. He was almost sure the dark-haired teenager was going to get reinforcements, that he tried to sell it too hard. However, after a few minutes Ikki returned. He was carrying a mask, one much like the female Saints wore. It was white with ornate gold patterns carefully etched across it.

"I was saving this for someone else, but I can have another one made."

Hyouga was thrown by the decidedly generous gesture made by the Saint still loyal to the evil Pope Ares. He couldn't help but feel there was ulterior motive, but he quashed the suspicion in order to save his own face. Instead, he took the mask with a bow. "I am honored, Lord Phoenix," he muttered.

"Put it on."

Hyouga hesitated. Was he expecting to see his face? As if to answer the question, Phoenix turned his back to him. Hyouga was further confused, but still didn't trust the other Saint not to look. So he turned as well, removing the helmet. It was a relief, honestly, as the helmet was heavy and smelled of sweat. He stared at the mask a moment, thinking how familiar it looked, but then shrugged. He placed it upon his own face, making sure to tie it securely in place. He knew the other trainees would likely ridicule him. Masks were a mark of the female Saints, there was no reason a man should wear one. He didn't care, however, as long as they didn't see his face.

When he turned back around he found the Phoenix still with his back to him. So he cleared his throat. "It's on."

Ikki turned back to him, and for a moment a strange emotion passed over his face. It then subsided back into it's for this world normal, bitter expression. "It suits you," he commented.

"Er… thank you, sir," Hyouga's confusion was genuine, but again he said nothing. "When will I begin my training?"

"Tonight. There are two training sessions per day here. One in the morning, and the other at night. When you aren't training you attend to whatever duty Black Dragon assigns you, unless I have called you for something personally. If you haven't been assigned something to do, you may use your time to do what you wish here on the island. Just remember, Andromeda is off limits. You may no longer see him, no matter how potent he is for bringing out your anger, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Hyouga had to control himself to keep this news itself from flaring his Cosmo with rage. He'd ask Nachi for help, but if he couldn't then he'd have to find another way to see Shun. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving the broken Saint alone in his Prison.

"Now, go to the training grounds and they'll find a uniform for you. Report to Black Dragon immediately after. He'll get you started before the rest of the trainees arrive for training."

"Yes, sir." Hyouga was glad to get out of there. He couldn't take being near the man who remained loyal to Pope Ares, the one who betrayed them all, any longer. This day kept getting worst, and now he was participating in the training that would have him vying for a Black Cloth, coming face to face with the man who killed Dragon Shiryu and Pegasus Seiya and tried to do the same to Shun.

The only thing he could see come from this that wasn't disastrous was the potential to find out what happened that day to change their own history so horrifically.


End file.
